Man Who Claimed to Have Supplied Steroids to Capitals, Nationals Takes Plea

The man who told authorities he supplied performance-enhancing drugs to the Washington Capitals and Nationals pleaded guilty to a single felony count of possession of steroids with intent to distribute at a federal courtroom in Tampa on Wednesday.

Richard Andrew Thomas of Lakeland, Fla., will serve eight months in federal prison, a plea his attorneys worked out after Thomas agreed to help investigators' inquiry of Washington-area chiropractor Doug Nagel. Nagel was arrested by deputies from the Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff's Department in March on seven counts of solicitation to deliver a controlled substance and a one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.

Nagel's case is moving forward in a Polk County court and there was a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday.

Nagel's attorney, Brian West, said his client has never supplied steroids to anyone, let alone any pro athletes. Nagel did treat a handful of Capitals players at his office located in a mall attached to the team's training facility. The players interviewed by investigators -- including Eric Fehr (pictured above), Shaone Morrisonn and Matt Bradley -- denied Nagel supplied them with any illicit drugs.

Share A Polk County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer told FanHouse that investigators found no evidence that either Nagel or Thomas supplied professional athletes with steroids. Separate investigations by Major League baseball and the National Hockey League also found no evidence that either Thomas or Nagel supplied performance-enhancing drugs to players.

Thomas boasted to Polk County investigators that he had supplied Capitals and Nationals players with steroids minutes after his house was raided last June and he was taken into custody. A short time later, he began to work with investigators to tape phone calls with Nagel -- who authorities alleged that Thomas sent steroids to on multiple occasions.

Thomas, who faces a multi-year sentence if convicted , must participate in a substance abuse program and undergo mandatory drug testing upon his release.